1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to an improved hatcher structure which maintains internal environmental consistency to insure efficient high yielding results from each batch of eggs. More specifically, the invention relates to a hatcher structure in which the exhausting of internal air is positively controlled to maintain temperature, humidity, and fresh air levels within the hatcher chamber at consistent, prescribed levels to promote the nurturing and maturing of poultry embryos into hatched birds.
At the present time, an increasing demand exists to feed an expanding world population. Scientific studies have confirmed the beneficial results obtained by a person consuming less red meat. One viable solution to these problems lies in the mass production of poultry or fowl as food such as chicken, turkey or duck. Integral to this solution is the ability to incubate and hatch mass quantities of eggs. While incubation and hatching systems for this purpose have been used for many years, conventional systems do not provide as consistent an environment as possible and therefore, are not as efficient and not as productive, as possible.
It is an objective of hatcheries to have all eggs in a batch develop and hatch in the same time period. To effectuate this, temperature, humidity and fresh air levels must be continually and consistently maintained. Minor deviations in the prescribed levels of these conditions can adversely effect a large percentage or even an entire batch of hatching eggs. It is not possible to wait for a batch to develop nor to hold back a batch that has passed its normal period of development and hatching time. Pulling a batch early will leave birds still in the shell and birds wet or not on their feet. Pulling a batch late will cause birds to be dehydrated. Both of these conditions will cause birds to be culled and discarded. Because a hatcher can hold over 15,000 eggs, the potential loss to the producer resulting from improper environmental conditions can be substantial. Consequently, it is imperative that the hatcher consistently maintain appropriate environmental conditions.
The internal environment of a hatcher is constantly changing. During the hatching process the gestating birds (chicks, goslings, ducklings, or other fowl) intake oxygen and produce carbon dioxide. In addition, as the advanced embryos mature and ultimately hatch, they generate more and more heat. Consequently, the oxygen in the hatching chamber must be continuously replenished, thereby introducing external air which is not at the proper heated or humidified levels, the stale air must be exhausted from the chamber and the heat as well as humidity levels must be monitored and maintained at prescribed levels. Deviation of any of the levels of heat, humidity or carbon dioxide can have severe effects on the development of the chicks.
For example, if the birds are subjected to reduced temperatures, as little as two or three degrees Fahrenheit less than the prescribed temperature, the birds may be pipped and not escaped from the shell at the end of the normal hatching period. A reduced temperature of as little as one degree will require a longer hatching time and may result in some of the birds still being wet at the time of removal of the batch from the hatching chamber. This, in turn, will cause some of the birds to be culled and discarded. In contrast, a temperature which is as little as two or three degrees Fahrenheit high will decrease the hatching period and produce birds which will have varying degrees of dehydration, heat prostration and other problems which will cause the birds to be culled and discarded.
Although it is understood that the condition of adversely high or low humidity and its effect on the embryos will already have occurred in the incubation period, prior to the hatching period, the maintaining of a predetermined humidity condition in the hatcher is important. For instance, if the humidity is kept too high the bird will remain large and have difficulty moving inside the egg and difficulty in escaping from the shell. In comparison, too much moisture loss will result in birds that are puny and dehydrated. In addition, too little moisture in the hatching chamber will cause the membrane under the shell and next to the bird to dry out and stick to the birds' down. The effected birds, if not culled and discarded, may die prior to reaching the farm or may never achieve their weight gain potential.
Fluctuation in carbon dioxide levels can be equally damaging. For instance, if the carbon dioxide levels are sufficiently more than the prescribed amount, the resulting chicks hatch from their shells deprived of oxygen and panting for air. Too high an increase over the prescribed level kills the birds.
In hatchers generally, air is introduced to the hatching chamber to replenish the oxygen supply for the embryos or emerging birds, to supplant exhausted internal air containing carbon dioxide and to allow regulation of the humidity and temperature of the internal air. In some conventional hatchers, the external air is drawn into the chamber through a slot or intake opening in the roof or possibly in the front wall of the hatcher. By maintaining the pressure inside the chamber at a lower level, or at a negative pressure with respect to the air outside the hatcher, the external air is drawn into the chamber through the intake opening. In other conventional hatchers, the air is sometimes forced into the chamber by the use of motorized blower assemblies or other mechanized drives for controlling the size of the air intake opening.
In conventional hatchers the air flow patterns of the air entering the hatching chamber are affected by the manner in which the air enters the chamber. For example, the air patterns will be altered because of the activity of the forced blower assemblies as well as a movement of damper mechanisms. Typically, the air patterns are dispersed in all directions and cause an inconsistent environment throughout the chamber. Environmental adjustment elements, such as heaters for warming the air, and sprayers for adding moisture to the air and fans or blowers for circulating the air are located within the hatcher chamber to maintain environmental consistency. However, because the external air disperses in all directions, these environmental adjustment elements are not able to sufficiently condition the incoming air to maintain the internal environment at a stable level or to immediately condition or treat all of the incoming air. The incoming external air may artificially stimulate the temperature and humidity measuring probes and thereby cause the environmental adjustment elements to react by maintaining inaccurate environmental levels or the untreated air may create adverse temperature and moisture zones which will have a damaging effect on the emerging birds.